Turkish and Somali forces have freed the cargo ship Lutuf after a 10-day operation against pirates who hijacked the vessel off Somalia’s Puntland coast earlier this month, Somalia’s Ministry of Defence has said. The Cameroon-flagged vessel was seized on 17 August in waters off Jiifle in Somalia’s Nugaal region, becoming one of six merchant ships being held by pirates in the area.
In a statement, Somalia’s Ministry of Defence said the Turkish Navy, working alongside the Somali National Armed Forces, maintained pressure on the pirates until the remaining attackers abandoned the vessel. “During the 10-day operation, four boats used by the pirates were destroyed, while 14 pirates died,” the ministry said.
Somali authorities said their forces subsequently took full control of Lutuf, which has “now safely resumed its voyage”. The ministry did not say how the 14 alleged pirates were killed, nor did it disclose whether any members of the ship’s crew or Turkish and Somali forces were injured or killed during the operation.
The operation was conducted under a defence cooperation agreement between Somalia and Turkey, which has expanded its military and maritime presence in the East African country in recent years. The release of Lutuf comes amid renewed international concern over a resurgence of Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) raised the alarm last week following the 20 August hijacking of the tanker Seamull, also known as Sibu 1, saying six merchant vessels and more than 90 seafarers were being held captive in the region. Lutuf had been among the six vessels, alongside Honour 25, Sward, Eureka, Asana and Seamull.
The vessel was seized just three days before six armed men boarded Seamull about 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla, Yemen, and diverted the tanker towards Somalia. The two August hijackings followed a series of successful pirate attacks earlier this year.